Rockets overcome large deficit against Jazz to extend streak to 13

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) less

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP ... more

Photo: Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

Photo: Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

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Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) less

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP ... more

Photo: Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

Rockets overcome large deficit against Jazz to extend streak to 13

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SALT LAKE CITY – The idea must have seemed crazy when Mike D'Antoni came up with it, but that did not stop him. It might have been part of what he liked about it.

The Rockets were without their starting center, Clint Capela. They were without the center that would have replaced him in the starting lineup. They lacked the shooting they would have sought from Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson.

So in a matchup with Utah's inside muscle, including towering center Rudy Gobert, D'Antoni considered his remaining centers and went with none of the above. After a few minutes with P.J. Tucker in the Rockets' Tuckwagon lineup, D'Antoni went even smaller.

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The Rockets turned to Luc Mbaha Moute and let the small lineup take over, with Mbah a Moute flying past Gobert to score 15 fourth-quarter points to help take the Rockets past the Jazz, 96-85, pushing their winning streak to 13 games.

James Harden had 26 points with 11 rebounds to lead the Rockets, but the Rockets struggled to score much of the night, hitting just nine 3s to snap their streak of games with at least 10 at an NBA record 55 straight.

The Rockets, however, came up with a sensational defensive effort in the second half.

The Rockets dramatically tightened their defense, making it far more disruptive to force turnovers and deny many of the passes that had picked them apart early in the game.

From the 15-point lead the Jazz held with 4 ½ minutes left in the first half to the 12-point lead the Rockets built three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Jazz made 7 of 25 shots with 12 turnovers in less than 20 minutes.

The Rockets had found much of the shooting touch that was so off in the first half, making 5 of 10 3-pointers in that run to the double-digit lead. They bought a few minutes of offense by letting Joe Johnson go iso-Joe. When the Jazz closed to within five, the Rockets went extra small, going to Mbah a Moute on Gobert.

Gobert did finish a lob on Mbah a Moute, but Mbah a Moute beat him off the dribble and then put in a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 10 with six minutes left as Nene and Tucker returned.

The Rockets missed their next six shots, going 2 ½ minutes without a bucket. But they went back to the small lineup and surged once more.

Throughout much of the game, the Rockets could not find their usual scoring.

As strong as the Jazz defense is, and has been through their run of 12 wins in 13 games, the Rockets did get good shots, too as they struggled through their lowest-scoring half of the season.

They often did have to put up contested 3s to beat the shot clock, often because of the difficulty getting free from the Jazz defense, but just as much from holding the ball until Harden or Paul had to launch. But they just as often missed the 3s they want.

With Gordon and Anderson out, Gerald Green, P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza combined to miss all 12 shots they took, nine from beyond the 3-point line, in the first half. To that, the Rockets added six missed free throws.

Their 39 first-half points were seven shy of their previous low this season. Their two 3-pointers (on 16 attempts) were their fewest of the season, falling short of the 3 they made in the first half in New Orleans Jan. 27, in the loss prior to their 12-game winning streak.

If the Rockets were going to find a way to win that way, or even to give themselves much of a chance, they would have to defend much more effectively than they had through much of the half. By the time the Jazz took their lead to 15 with 4 ½ minutes left in the half on a Donovan Mitchell drive and dunk, the Jazz had made 56.3 percent of their shots with six turnovers.

In the final 4 ½ minutes of the half, however, they missed four shots in six turnovers, giving the Rockets an opening. The Rockets cut the lead from 15 to just five heading into the second half. They had yet to show they could get their offense going enough to keep it going, but D'Antoni had a secret weapon in the fourth quarter.